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Hello everyone,
My name is Carol Haigh, my colleague and I work at Manchester Metropolitan University and we are doing some research into how health care professionals who are not specialists in dementia care communicate with patients and their family and friends. The primary outcome of this research will be the creation of educational tools to help doctors and nurses communicate better. We are particularly interested in those health care professionals who work in the cancer field but we'd like to hear what your experiences or concerns are. We'll make sure your anonymity is protected at all time but we would like to use quotes from what you tel us in the learning material we develop.
Please give us your opinions.
Thank you for your help

“A test of a people is how it behaves toward the old. It is easy to love children. Even tyrants and dictators make a point of being fond of children. But the affection and care for the old, the incurable, the helpless are the true gold mines of a culture.”

“A test of a people is how it behaves toward the old. It is easy to love children. Even tyrants and dictators make a point of being fond of children. But the affection and care for the old, the incurable, the helpless are the true gold mines of a culture.”

I do not have a vast experience , but my wife suffered with Alzheimers amongst several other ailments that affected her adversely
During the latter stages of her illness we were often at clinics and hospitals and had to deal with many professionals who were not particularly familiar with the problems caused by dementia
Because of her illness I always had to ask that I remain with her , this sometimes caused problems because they would insist it was not appropriate ,or their policy, I then had need to remind them that my wife suffered with AD and they were risking the possibilty of adverse reaction from my wife, which would only be wasting their time and upsetting my wife
When they asked questions , if my wife could not understand , she would always look at me and although she would not say anything I knew she wanted me to answer for her But what was important is that sometimes ( and far to often) if the person asking the questions then started to ask me by saying "Does she - or- Will she
my wife for all of her lack of comprehension somehow seemed to sense this change ,where they were asing me the questions rather than her,and her reactions were often forthright Why are they asking YOU the questions
It was then difficult to explain to her , after this she would invariably say " that person does not like me and she would be upset
It may not seem an important issue , but to those who are familiar with the problems of caring , it can mean additional difficulties in getting someone who is already opposed to any medical appointments
I am sure more members will be able to give you instances in their own experience that will be of assistance to you
jimbo 111